Tahu longtong is a dish brought to Suriname by the contracted laborers from Java Indonesia. It's simple, fresh and delicious! I'ts main components are... fried tofu and longtong. Hahaha. Bet you saw that one coming! For those of you who don't know it, longtong is sticky rice cake. Traditionally it's cooked in banana leaves, but nowadays you can buy small packages in a plastic wrapper to cook it in. For this dish the longtong is cooled and served together with fried tofu and bean sprouts and topped with a spicy kecap sauce and fried onions. You can add some shredded chicken, fried omelet strips or or a hard boiled egg for some variety or just enjoy it as it is.
Back in the days my gran used to have major cravings for tahu longtong. She'd tell us about the time when her dad was stationed in Indonesia and how they lived when she was a little girl. She'd talk about the statuesque colonial Dutch houses and how much she loved to get tahu longtong. You could almost see the fragrant banana leave with tofu and longtong glimmer in her eyes. Ooh sweet reminiscence.
Now every time I eat tahu longtong I think of my gran and the little girl she once used to be.
